Expansible bracelet-link.



IVI. L. ROBBINS.

EXPANSIBLE BRACELET LINK.

APPLICATIoN FILED ruNEza. 1915.

Patented Dee. 5, 1916.

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EXPANSIBLE BRACELET-LIN K.

Specification of Letters Eatcnt.

Patented Dec. 5, 193th.

Application led June 23, 1915. Serial No. 35,737.

T0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, MEYER L. Romains, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county of New York and State of New York, have made and invented certain new and useful improvements in Expansible Bracelet-Links, of which the following is a specification. Y

This invention relates to expansible bracelets, and has in view the provision of a novel form of link, several of which, when connected together, forming a bracelet, wherein the sides of the guide link are connected together by integral bridges, thus entirely dispensing with the use of solder and also eliminating entirely all seams or joints between the sides of the guide link, the result being that the completed article will possess a neat and substantial. appearance, and at the same time the construction is such that the article may be economically manufactured, involving a minimum amount of raw material and requiring but little labor in its formation.

A further object is to provide a novel form of slide link which is formed as a split loop, the free ends of which are headed and resiliently held apart so that the said heads, contacting with the walls of the guide link, hold the two in proper relation and promote the free movement thereof.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the description proceeds, wherein it is to be understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departingfrom the spirit thereof.

The preferred embodiment of my invention is disclosed in the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure l is a. view in side elevation of the several links which go to make up a bracelet, each link possessing the characteristic features of my invention; Fig. 2 is a view in longitudinal vertical section of the several links illustrating them in their retracted positions; Fig. 3 is a view in vertical section of one of the links; Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of the blank from which the guide link is formed; Fig. 5 is a view in cross-section thereof; Fig. 6 is a view in perspective of the blank after being subjected to the action of the forming dies; Fig. 7 is a view in cross-section of the above; Figs. 8 and 9 are views in perspective and cross-section, respectively, of the blank after being further cut and trimmed; Figs. 10 and 1l are views in perspective and cross-section, respectively,of the troughshaped blank, with the bottom wall recessed and cut; Figs. 12 and 13 are views in perspective and cross-section, respectively, of the trough-shaped blank after' the sides thereof have been compressed together; Figs. l/t and l5 are views in perspective and cross-section, respectively, of the finished guide link, the compressed sides of the trough-shaped blankbeing cut away similar to the bottom wall of the trough-shaped blank; Fig. 16 is a view in perspective of the completed guide link taken from the opposite side; Fig. 17 is a view in perspective of the slide link, which, in connection with the guide link as above defined, forms one link of the bracelet.

Referring specifically to the several views, the bracelet as illustrated in Fig. l, is made up of a number of links, each of which ir.- cludes the guide link 30, and slide link 3l. A coil spring 32 is positioned within each guide link and bears against the one end thereof and impine'es against the opposite extremity of the slide link, with the result that the various links are normally held in retracted positions.

In forming guide ,links of that tvpe which includes spaced trough-shaped sides, it has heretofore been the practice to secure the ends of the trough-shaped sides together, either by some fastening agent such as solder, or to wrap the ends one about the other, the result in each instance being the same, that is. a seam or joint at the ends of the guide link, and which portions are subjected to the greatest strains, and in order to eliminate all ioints and seams between the sides of the guide link, l form the guide link from a. single piece of metal, so treated that a guide link is formed having spaced troughshaped sides and connected at their ends bv integral bridges and without seams or joints. The foregoing is accomplished by subjecting a sheet metal blank 33 to the ac tion of forming dies, which, acting upon the said disk-like blank, shapes the same into a trough-shaped blank 34;. The troughshaped blank 34: is formed with the closed and integral ends 35 and bottom wall 36. The length of the disk 33 approximates that of the completed guide link, the troughshaped blank being of the exact length of the completed guide link. The action of the dies upon the disk 33 results in the somewhat flaring edges 35 of the trough-shaped blank, and these edges are subsequently cut away to form the blank as illustrated in Figs. 8 and `9, the same being strictly U- shape in cross-section. rilhe trough-shaped blanks as above outlined are somewhat curved in their length, so as to correspond to the contour of the wrist.

The blank as thus formedis further subjected to the action of stamping and cutting dies, with the result that an intermediate blank shown in Figs. 10-11 is formed, the same having the side walls 34 extending strictly parallel one with the other, and the bottom wall 36 is provided with the slot 37, extending in the direction of the length thereof, the width of which determines the spacing of the sides of the completed guide link. At the same time, the extremities of the end walls 35 of the trough-shaped blank are notched as at 38. rlheY overhanging sides 39 of thetrough-shaped blank which are formed by the notches'38, are then bent together to form the blank illustrated in Figs. 12 and '13. The blank as thus formed,

is then subjected to the action of cutting dies, and the top wall 39 is provided with the slot 40, corresponding to the slot 37 in the bottom wall of the trough-shaped blank. .The guide link as illustrated in Figs. 14, 15 and 16, accordingly includes the troughshaped sides 41, connected at their both ends by the integral bridges 49.-, which are somewhat limited in their width so that they will act as guide posts for the slide link as hereinafter explained. p

The slide link illustrated in Fig. 17 is of loop-shape form and includes the spaced sides 43 which are connected at their one end by the integral bridge 44. The remote and free extremities 45 of the sides of the slide link are provided with the lugs or heads 46, which are normally held apart by the resiliency of the bridge 44. The slide link as thus outlined, is economically formed from a single length of rod or wire, and is slidably secured to the guide link by slightly spreading the sides of the trough-shaped members 4141, and inserting the lugsv or heads 4G between the openings as thus defined, after which the sides of the trough-shaped ineinbers are again returned to their original positions and the slide link is held between the troughfshaped sides thereof. A coil spring 32 is positioned within the guide link during the assembling of the guide and slide links, and is adapted to hold the two in retracted positions. The resilient spacing of the lugs 46 of the slide link holds them in forced contact with the inner walls of the guide link, which, in connection with the end posts or bridges 42 of the guide link, and the spaced sides 43 of the slide link, result in the guide and slide links being maintained in proper position.

Although the links have been spoken of as representing portions of an expansible bracelet, it will be readily understood that the said links may be utilized wherever a resiliently expansible chain is desired.

lVliat I claim is 1. A guide-link, comprising spaced troughshaped members connected at both ends by integral bridges.

2. An article of the class described comprising trough-shaped members, bridges extending between the ends thereof and formed integral therewith, and holding the same in spaced relation, and a loop-shaped member with resiliently spaced ends, the sides of said loop-shaped member embracing one of the said bridges therebetween, and with the ends thereof held in forced contact with the walls of said trough-shaped members.

3. An extensible link comprising a guidelink with spaced trough-shaped members, a slide link with resiliently spaced oppositely disposed and headed ends, said heads fitting within the trough-shaped members and held in forced contact with the side walls thereof.

4. A slide link comprising spaced sides, an integral bridge connecting the one ends thereof, the remote ends of said sides provided with enlarged and transversely extending and oppositely disposed heads, said heads held resiliently spaced apart by said integral bridge.

5. A guide link comprising spaced confronting trough-shape members, and bridges at the ends thereof extending therebetween, formed integral therewith, and maintaining the same in spaced relation.

Signed at New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 21st day of June, A. D.

MEYER L. ROBBINS.

Copies of this patent may 'be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. C. 

